Existing High Rate Packet Data (HRPD)/1XEV-DO (DO) systems function in accordance with interface standards developed by 3GPP2/TIA. 3GPP2 refers to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2, which may be contacted via its web page at www.3gpp2.com, and TIA refers to the Telecommunications Industry Association, which may be contacted via its web page at www.tiaonline.org. HRPD systems typically employ air interfaces in accordance with TIA-856, while their network architectures are structured according to either the TIA-878 or the TIA-1878 specifications. At present, these specifications do not provide for active packet data session hard handoffs between ANs in HRPD networks.
Instead, the specifications require an HRPD packet data session to be transitioned to the dormant state before it can be handed off (dormant mode handoff) to a target HRPD AN. FIG. 5 is an exemplary signaling flow diagram 700 that depicts an access terminal (AT) with an active HRPD packet data session handing off from a source AN to a target AN, in accordance with prior art signaling techniques. As flow diagram 700 illustrates, the source AT breaks the connection with the AT, forcing the packet data session dormant, before establishing a connection with the target AN. Additional signaling detail may be found in TIA-1878. See for example section 3.5.3 (showing HRPD session release initiated by the source AN with an A8 connection active) and dormant mode handoff sections such as section 3.7.1 (showing successful network initiated, target side signaling for the dormant mode handoff and reactivation of the session).
Although the session is re-activated once the dormant session is successfully transferred to the target AN, this prior art signaling approach adds significant delay to the handoff. Such a delay can be unacceptable to applications with stringent QoS (quality of service) requirements, such as VoIP (voice over internet protocol). This prior art approach can thus result in disruptive data service leading to a poor user experience. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus to facilitate inter-AN HRPD hard handoffs that can reduce the present handoff delays.
Specific embodiments of the present invention are disclosed below with reference to FIGS. 1-4. Both the description and the illustrations have been drafted with the intent to enhance understanding. For example, the dimensions of some of the figure elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements, and well-known elements that are beneficial or even necessary to a commercially successful implementation may not be depicted so that a less obstructed and a more clear presentation of embodiments may be achieved. Simplicity and clarity in both illustration and description are sought to effectively enable a person of skill in the art to make, use, and best practice the present invention in view of what is already known in the art. One of skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes may be made to the specific embodiments described below without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, the specification and drawings are to be regarded as illustrative and exemplary rather than restrictive or all-encompassing, and all such modifications to the specific embodiments described below are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.